Post by Therdde on Jun 11, 2008 3:47:05 GMT -5
To the few of you who might've read the first log, we redid the latter half of it, after realizing that the characters really just didn't match up well.
Characters:
Kein – Male Juvenile Cougar
Ruut’h – Female Juvenile Cougar (Spoofed by Poe)
Unnamed Male Wolf (Spoofed by Maulisho)
- Storyteller's Butte -
Kein slept almost all day today. He wasn't particularly tired, but he wanted to be well-rested for what he intends to do, which he doubts will be pleasant. It is, at least, dark out, so it might not be as miserable traveling back as it was traveling to the oasis. That wasn't his reason for leaving so late during the night, though. He wanted to make sure that everyone was asleep, that he'd get enough of a head start to allow him to return to Amaranth before his mom or someone else caught up to him. If they even bother. He promised his mom no more running off. Sure, she'll probably forgive him, but... That'll likely take some time, and she might not be too keen on getting him back until after she does forgive him. He doesn't know. He can't just leave Nayeli and Chandani where they are, though. His pace is fast for such a young cougar. He isn't quite running, but the only reason he isn't is so that he can keep very close track of where he's going, so he doesn't wind up getting lost.
Right behind Kein, trying her darndest to keep quiet and "unfound" is Ruut'h, Kein's sister. She's not prone to this sort of behavior. But she just *knows* Kein will get in trouble for wandering off like this. So she decided to keep watch over him to make sure he doesn't do "bad things" or she'll tell mom.
Kein has no idea that Ruut'h has been following him. It's dark enough that glances over his shoulder are pretty much worthless, as the moonlight is nothing compared to the sunlight to which he's accustomed. Apparently she has kept just enough distance, to this point, to avoid being heard by her brother. As he reaches further north, though, he has to stop, to look around and try to remember, exactly, which way they came from. It's so hard to track in these lands, and there are so few landmarks!
Ruut’h stops and crouches. She could bust him right now. But she's not angry at Kein about anything, just curious what he is doing. She tries her best to keep hidden. Of course, she is a juvenile. Such a thing is typically fruitless in its application. Her tail is sticking straight up.
Moments before Kein is about to look back behind him, he could swear he hears an unusual noise. He's generally not one to jump at shadows, but this situation is just so far from normal that even he's feeling a little nervous. It causes him to look around him a little more intently, and then he spots... Something. Something that was not there when he passed that area behind him. Oh no. In a strained whisper, he calls out, "Who's there?"
Ruut’h's ears splay back and she looks a little panicked. Does she say something? Does she? What would Kein do if he caught her? Oh no oh no oh no oh-- "It's me!" And Ruut'h pops her head up so she can be seen. Drat. She did it.
Kein frowns as his sister becomes a little more visible and speaks. He should have checked more to make sure they were all sleeping, but he didn't want to wake anyone in the process. Raising his voice a little more, he says, "Ruut'h, what are you doing here? Go back!" Uh, on second thought... But it's a little bit too late to take back that shouted command. If she does go back, she might tell Mom, and then...
"What are *you* doing here?" Ruut'h fires back at her brother. "If mom finds out you snuck off during the night you're gonna get in so much trouble!" She pads over to Kein and circles him a bit. "Let me come! I jus' wanna see what's so great about sneaking off is all!"
Kein flattens his ears against his head. Why does she have to be so difficult? Turning so that he can keep his eyes on Ruut'h, he says, "You /can't/ tell Mom... And you're not gonna want to come with me, either." Well, maybe she is. She was the one who put up the most fuss about leaving home, after all. "I'm goin' far away, and it's gonna take a long time." He won't tell her where, not voluntarily. If she doesn't know /where/ he's going, she can't tell Mom where... Of course, with any knowledge of Kein, it probably wouldn't be too hard to figure out, anyway.
And of course, it would take a cougar of somewhat more intelligence than Ruut'h. Now she looks horrified. "You're runnin'way? Why are you runnin'way?" Ruut'h is very much agitated now. Not one to just let her brother just *run away* Ruut'h decides maybe she should do something about it. And before he can even respond or run away or WORSE, she pounces. "I'm tellin' mom! An' she'll find you!"
Kein was not expecting Ruut'h to pounce at him, and so he has minimal time to respond. He moves back, but it's not enough to keep him from being toppled by the pounce. Growling suddenly, he attempts to push at her with his paws, making sure his claws remain hidden. This is not some fun cubfight, and if there is one thing that his Mom has taught him, it's that his job is to protect girls, not hurt them. He doesn't always manage that, but it will keep him from doing anything to physically injure his sister. "Get off of me, Ruut'h!" Kein is not so careful about keeping his voice quiet, this time around.
"Why are you runnin' away? And where?" Ruut'h yells back, not getting off of her brother. "It's bad 'nough we had to leave home, but now you gotta leave me an' mom an' Pelutho, too?" She stares right into his eyes. You are in Big Trouble, so says the cub on top of you. Grr.
Kein continues growling and trying to push his sister away, but at least he does answer. His tone is angry, but he's not yelling. Unfortunately, talking at a normal volume may be dangerous enough, out here. "I'm /not/ runnin' way. I'm gonna come back, as soon as I can. I just gotta do something, Ruut'h, and you gotta let me go!"
"But where are ya goin'?" Ruut'h says, leaning forward again, trying to keep Kein pinned. "You're gonna get in so much trouble!"
Kein scowls and shouts, "I gotta go get Nayeli!" He /didn't/ want to tell her that, but he can't seem to free himself very well, not if he wants to do so without hurting Ruut'h. It will be so much easier to avoid hurting girls when he's older and there's more of a size difference between Kein and girls of the same age, because he may be less likely to have to rely on teeth and claws to get out of situations like this one.
Ruut'h looks at Kein wide-eyed for a moment, then gets off. "You're going *back?* Even after mom took us away?" Ruut'h asks. Then she looks really excited. "Can I come? I wanna go home!"
Kein is quick to get to his feet, and he stares at Ruut'h once he does. If he tells her no, it'll probably just make her angry, and she'll go tell Mom no matter what else he says. He might well be stuck with her. After a moment, he answers with a frown. "We /aren't/ stayin' there. We're just gonna get Nayeli and Chandani, then come back. Got it?" And if Nayeli doesn't want to come back with him? He has recognized that possibility, but he doesn't have an answer, yet.
Ruut’h gets a sly look on her face. "Gonna get your *girlfriend?*" Ruut'h says, teasing Kein. This is an abrupt change from the upset cub from just moments before. Ruut'h is torn, however, on the inside. Go with Kein and come back, she won't return home until mom says so. Go with Kein and *stay* and she'll be home, but no mom! Ruut'h begins working on this dilemma for a few moments.
"This isn't funny, Ruut'h." And Kein is not amused by her teasing. For all he knows, Chesmu could have done something really bad to Nayeli or Chandani already. They're not safe, where they are. "If you're comin' with me, we gotta hurry, but remember what I said."
Ruut'h nods. "Oh fine." Ruut'h says. "But I might stay!" Ruut'h was never very good at keeping her own secrets. Yes. She would stay. But she'll make sure mom knows she loves her and wants her to come back, too. That would make it all right.... right?
Kein was just about to turn around, to head back northward. When Ruut'h speaks up, though, he snaps his head back around to look at her. "No! It's not safe there, Ruut'h!" Mom would never forgive him if he left Ruut'h where Chesmu would be able to hurt her, he's sure of it. Oh, she claims she'll forgive him and always love him, no matter what he does, but surely there's something that's bad enough to make her change her mind about that.
Ruut'h gets angry at this. "Why? Because mom got a bad feeling or because you hate Chesmu?" Ruut'h yells. "What is it that he did that was *so terrible* that suddenly we all gotta leave our friends and home and DIE OUT HERE?!"
"He hurt Mom!" Kein growls at his sister as he answers this. "Mom is trying to keep you an' me an' Pel safe, and all you're doin' is makin' her feel bad about it!" Even when Kein was angry about leaving Nayeli behind, he didn't attempt to convince his mom to stay, didn't cry about leaving. Ruut'h, though... Kein might not be the best-behaved cougar in the world, but at least he usually /tries/ to keep from making anyone feel bad.
Now Ruut'h is furious! "I am *not*! I just think momma's doing something bad!" Ruut'h yells back at Kein in anger. "Maybe *you* just convinced mom that Chesmu is evil, like Nayeli!"
Kein stares at Ruut'h for a moment. Kein isn't angry often, and all of those times have been fairly recently. He was angry with Chesmu a couple times, angry with the mouse a couple times, angry for a little while when he had to leave Nayeli behind... And he's angry now. Perhaps angrier than he has ever been, and /definitely/ angrier than he has ever been with a family member. He has forgiven Mom for the small slight he imagines she was guilty of, absolutely unconditionally, and hearing Ruut'h attack Mom for being the best leader their family could possibly ask for... It makes him /want/ to hurt her. Growling still, he says, in a low tone, "Mom loves us, and she would /never/ hurt any of us. She stood up for Chesmu, but she was /wrong/, Ruut'h... And she got hurt because of it. And now you're wrong." Kein turns away from his sister. With as hot as that anger is burning, he can barely stand looking at her, and as he begins walking again, he says, "Go back and tell her. I don't care." Kein's going to get in trouble, one way or the other. It just means he'll have to move a lot faster, and not rest, so that he can get to Nayeli in time.
Ruut’h angrily follows Kein. She won't let him get off *that* easily. Maybe she was *right* to defend Chesmu, did Kein ever think of that? The cub just follows angrily silent.
Kein can hear Ruut'h following, and he puts up with it for only a moment before he turns to face her again. That desire to hurt her hasn't faded, and he takes a step towards her, baring his teeth. "Go /back/, Ruut'h! I'm /not/ going to let you go and stay there, and get hurt just like Mom did." Mom is big. With Ruut'h, though... If Chesmu decides to hurt her, she might not get away... She might even be killed... And that might be what's happening to Nayeli, Chandani, or one of their siblings /right now/, but Ruut'h refuses to see that.
Ruut'h is shocked when Kein confronts her like that. However, she is as stubborn as she is angry at this moment. "No!" she says. "You can't tell me what to do! And I'm gonna prove you wrong! I wanna prove mom wrong so she can come home and everyone just GO HOME!"
This is /not/ good. It'd be fine if Ruut'h just came with him and then left with him, but he /can't/ leave her there. He tries to position himself north of Ruut'h, to try to drive her back towards Mom. Unfortunately, with the absence of visible landmarks, he has gotten turned around, and when he lunges and snaps at Ruut'h, aiming to scare her rather than actually hurt her, he is definitely not facing south. "Go!" If he has to /chase/ her back to where Mom is, well... So be it.
Ruut'h whimpers when Kein snaps at her! But...! "But I wanna come!" And prove you wrong and make everyone get home. But Ruut'h doesn't say that part.
Kein isn't aiming to make Ruut'h whimper. He's aiming to chase her back to Mom. "You /can't/ come if you're gonna stay there." He lunges again, this time bringing him close enough to potentially knock into her, but without the snapping.
This is enough for Ruut'h to worry. Kein is serious! He's not going to let her come. Seeing him charge for her, she makes a snappy decision and turns to the northeast, and runs.
She turned! She was supposed to run in the exact direction he was facing, to get as far away from him as quickly as possible, but she turned! The wrong way! Who knows where she'll end up?! He's angry, yes, and he wanted to hurt her... But he doesn't want her to /be/ hurt, or lost, or anything of the sort. How two very opposite things could be true a the same time would be impossible for him to explain. With only a moment's hesitation... He takes off after her, shouting, "Ruut'h! Wait!"
Ruut'h doesn't listen. Not for a long time. She just runs and runs.
"Ruut'h, stop! You can come!" Anything to get her to stop running in some random direction. He continues chasing after her, and though he's still angry, he's now also concerned. What if she gets them /both/ lost? He has already learned that he has a really hard time tracking out here, and what if he couldn't even get them both back to the oasis, much less back to Amaranth?
- Desolate Scrubland -
Ruut'h runs for a few seconds after she hears she can come. She stops and circles back. She walks over to Kein. "You mean it?"
Kein stops where he is when she begins to circle around, breathing heavily, head down. He lifts it again as she approaches him and speaks, and after a pause, he says, "I mean it... But only if you promise that you'll listen to Chandani, when we get there." Maybe Chandani will be able to convince Ruut'h that Chesmu is bad... If not, he'll have to find some other way to force Ruut'h to leave. He can deal with that then, though.
Listen to Chandani. That sounds simple enough. Except... "Aren't you planning to take Chandani with you?" Ruut’h says, confused.
"We'll stay for a little while, okay?" Long enough to give Chandani a chance to convince Ruut'h of what Kein couldn't. As he waits for an answer from his sister, he looks around, not entirely sure where they are or what direction they ought to be going.
Ruut'h nods and looks around. "Where are we? I don't know this place!" Ruut'h says nervously. She doesn't like being lost. What's worst is she is lost outside of Amaranth territory or the oasis. "I'm scared."
She's scared? She has good reason to be. The girl doesn't realize it yet, but she's being watched. Stalked. Hunted. And... about to be attacked.
And whose fault is that? If she hadn't run off, he would still have some idea of where he is. Even as he looks around for the direction to go, he doesn't notice anything nearby watching them, and after a moment, he says, "There's nothin' t'be scared of. Follow me." With that, he begins walking again, towards the north, though he has no idea that's the direction he's heading. His pace is much slower now that when he first set out.
Ruut’h walks alongside her brother, keeping an eye out for anything familiar. A tree, a brush, a cougar, *something.* She's not very angry anymore since she feels so lost and afraid.
Nothing to be scared? So speaks the ignorant boy, bringing a sardonic smile to the muzzle of the pursuer. Nothing to be scared of? They have /everything/ to be scared of.
Kein keeps his pace slow, primarily so that Ruut'h won't have to rush to keep up with him. He's still angry, though not quite so much as before. He might feel a little bit lost, but he's not so much afraid, and with all the things that have happened, he is not at all inclined to talk anymore than he has to, now.
This is *fine* with Ruut'h. She is, naturally, convinced she is right. She walks a little behind Kein, but not far from him.
It's far back enough for the pursuer's purposes. The distance between them continues decreasing, though the pursuer is not too terribly worried about detection. If the cubs are skilled enough to realize that they're being tracked, well... it won't matter in the long run. No pun intended.
It took Kein a long time to realize his sister was following him, and she's not particularly skilled at trailing animals unnoticed. The chances of him noticing that something is hunting them, or rather hunting Ruut'h, are slim, until the creature should accidentally stumble or some other noise from that direction should draw Kein's gaze.
Ruut’h is still unaware that a predator is about to close on her. She just continues on in silence behind Kein. She'll be so glad when she gets back to the territory.
The pursuer has accidentally stumbled before, and has made noises before... while still learning how to hunt. That time was long ago. There is nothing to indicate the pursuer's presence except a silent shadow weaving its way across the sparsely populated ground.
Kein might be more anxious about how long it seems to be taking, but he remembers how long it took to get to the oasis. Even so, as he and his sister continue northward and absolutely /nothing/ looks familiar in the moonlight, his pace slows further. This isn't the right direction... And because the sun isn't out and he's never had to travel at night by himself before, he has no idea where the right direction might be.
Ruut’h speeds up her pace and gets to Kein's side. "What's wrong?" Ruut'h asks. Aren't they on their way to home? "C'mon, we gotta keep goin'!"
Hmm. The cubs are together now. Dropping into a crouch, the pursuer waits for them to make their next move. Patience was a lesson learned long ago, and learned well. Hunger can wait. Best to do this properly.
Kein stops for a moment as Ruut'h catches up to him. What good is going if they're going in the wrong direction? "I've never seen this place before." Or, if he has, he doesn't recognize it. If this is the wrong direction, then the only possible choice is to turn and head some other way. It got him enough places when he was much younger. Of course, back then, he was always safe within Amaranth. He's just not used to having to wander around to find where he's supposed to be, anymore.
Ruut’h's ears fall back. She stops walking altogether, in fact. "Wh-what're we gonna do?" Ruut'h asks. Will they be lost forever?
"We're gonna go a different way." Kein turns to his left and begins walking again, looking forward to try to spot anything familiar from their trip to the oasis. He tells himself to be patient, that it might take a while, but now that he knows, or thinks, they were going in the wrong direction once already, he's nervous about going in the wrong direction again.
Ruut'h follows Kein again, again, somewhat behind, but not very far. She just wants to go home. Why couldn't mom even understand that.
Excellent. They're starting to move on again. The pursuer smoothly rises on strong paws and begins slinking forward after them again. The simple question now is whether or not to wait until they're asleep for the night. Attacking while the prey is asleep... it doesn't get any easier than that.
If whatever is following them is going to wait until they fall asleep, it's going to be waiting a long time. Kein might not have to rush so much now, because Ruut'h won't be going back to alert Mom to where he's going, but he still has no intention of stopping for as long as he's capable of pressing on. He travels in silence, heading westward for some time, and aided in confidence by occasional glimpses of things he thinks he has seen before.
Ruut'h is not as confident as Kein. She keeps dodging around the rather rude question of 'Are you *sure* we're going the right way?' But instead, the girlcub bites her tongue for now. Kein is one of the reasons she feels safe right now. Well, relatively safe. Better than being alone out here.
The same thought has gone through the pursuer's mind: sleep most likely won't overtake these cubs for a while. They seem too frightened and uneasy to find rest anytime soon. The distance begins to decrease, yet again.
Kein doesn't look behind him. He can hear that Ruut'h is following him, and he can suppose that's what matters, for the time being. Of course, given that he knows that he's being followed, the occasional extra, heavier pawstep that might occasionally reach his ears doesn't cause him nearly the concern it should.
Ruut'h is scared. She continues following Kein... and finally she has to say something. "I'm scared, Kein."
Another smile comes to the muzzle of the pursuer, and there's nothing friendly about it. The taste or flesh of cougar has never entered the pursuer's maw before, but if this hunt is successful, that will soon change. All the pursuer must do is decide exactly when and how to launch the attack. A large part of that will be determined by how the cubs continue their journey.
Kein is still frustrated with a great many things, not the least of which is his sister's stubbornness. He looks back at her, but he continues walking forward. "You're the one that wanted to come with me, Ruut'h. Besides, I told you, there's nothing to be scared of." /Kein/ said it. That has to make it true. At least, that would be the case, were it Nayeli following him. He keeps an eye on Ruut'h for a moment, walking a little more slowly so that he doesn't trip while he looks behind him.
The pursuer immediately freezes in place, waiting until the male cub turns his attention back to in front of him, rather than staring back in the pursuer's direction.
As Ruut'h doesn't respond this time, apparently accepting his statement again, Kein looks forward. The dim lighting combined with their pursuer's skill and caution have kept him unnoticed to this point. Either that or Kein really doesn't think something stalking after them is anything to be concerned about, but that isn't very likely.
Ruut’h actually was waiting before answering. She wants to know why Kein is so confident. "But how do you know?" Ruut'h asks. "It's not like you know all the dangers out here!"
"That is absolutely correct, young girl!" The deep male voice is followed by the appearance of the pursuer: a nearly-completely black wolf. Well-built and muscular, and with a confidence that comes only with knowledge of one's own superiority. "There are many terrible dangers out here, so you are wise to be careful."
Kein has just opened his mouth to respond to his sister when an unfamiliar voice sounds out, causing him to turn around rapidly. Even once he's facing the direction of the voice, he doesn't see anything for a moment. It takes a while for the wolf's outline to stand out, and once it does, the young male narrows his eyes. For all he knows, he has been followed /again/, by one of the wolves in his mom's friend's pack, and he doesn't like the idea. "We're doin' just fine."
Ruut'h also whips around quickly in shock. "Wh-who's there?" And she's back to being *Really* scared again.
The wolf quietly sits down. "You are not doing fine at all. You let me get within attacking distance of the young girl here and only became aware of my presence simply because I allowed it." The wolf narrows his eyes. "Luckily for you, I am a wolf."
Kein isn't sure he'd call that lucky. That the wolf says that and that he sis would seem to confirm Kein's suspicion, though. It doesn't make him any more receptive to the criticism, though. "Fine. You got close to her. You can go back now." Kein's really not usually this rude, not to animals he doesn't view as threats. He just doesn't want to deal with the wolf right now, though.
Ruut'h looks absolutely terrified now. She looks up at the wolf and feels very small. Vulnerable. Trembling, the little girlcub stutters, "P-please tell me you're... n-nice!"
If the wolf was ever told not to play with his food before eating it, he's certainly disregarding that admonition now. Addressing all his attention to the girl, he adopts an expression of near-hurt. "Young girl, how can you question that? Tell me: what do you know about wolves?" Obviously he has no idea at all, but if this backfires, he can always go ahead and kill them both right away.
"That they talk /all the time/." Okay, so maybe the question wasn't posed to Kein, but he's rather in a hurry to continue on his way. "C'mon Ruut'h. Let's get out of here." Y'know, before Kein does anything else to anger this wolf? Well, that may not be his motivation, but it might be smart to let him continue on his way.
Ruut’h backs away from the wolf. Hoping to find Kein near so she'll feel a little safer. Numbers and all that. She doesn't know anything about wolves. Just that this one scares her.
"Little girl, I do have a question for you... do you trust that your brother knows where you both are going? Do you trust that he'll be able to protect you from any danger that you might encounter on the way?" The wolf does his best not to allow the inward amusement he's feeling to display itself as a smile.
Kein scowls at that question, but he remains quiet for the time being. Of course he knows where he's going! He even recognizes a few things! As to whether or not he can protect Ruut'h... Well, Kein almost wants to hear Ruut'h answer to that. And he's kind of scared to hear the answer. Momentarily indecisive, he keeps his mouth shut. Barely.
Ruut’h backs up more, staring at the wolf. What should she do? Should she tell him the truth or bluff? She shivers in fear and looks over at Kein. Maybe she can stonewall. Keep the wolf from knowing she doesn't fully trust Kein's judgment right now. "I trust that my b-brother will do the right thing. He does what he f-feels he must."
"But is he strong enough to protect you? You may trust him, but is he capable of guarding you?" They're siblings. The wolf was fairly certain of this fact, but is glad to hear that one of them verified it. "Being a brother is an enormous responsibility, and safeguarding a sister... well... I just hope for your sake that your brother is up to the task."
Kein continues to stare at the wolf. Sure, he noticed that Ruut'h skirted around the question, and it upsets him a little, but he should have spoken up before she even had to answer it. "What does it matter to you anyway? Why don't you just go away already?" Nosy, talkative, ugly wolves. Trying to convince his sister that it's time to move on, once more, he says, "Come on, Ruut'h."
Ruut'h stares up at the wolf for another few seconds before turning away to walk with Kein again.
The wolf immediately gets to his paws again, turning his attention to the brother. "Do you find my presence offensive, young cougar? Repulsive? Or perhaps... embarrassing?"
Kein is about to turn around, to continue westward with his sister, but then the wolf stands up. Narrowing his eyes, he says, "We're just inna hurry, so leave us alone, okay?" Even if this /is/ a member of the pack they're visiting, he doesn't want the wolf around any longer.
"You're in a hurry, you say? Do you really think that I'm going to slow you down?" The wolf feigns offense at the slight.
Perhaps not, but nevertheless, Kein is reluctant to turn his back on the wolf. He's just a little more reluctant, though, to show that he might be nervous. After a moment of hesitation, and with a deep breath, he turns to begin continuing on his way back to Amaranth. To where Nayeli and Chandani are.
Ruut’h walks alongside Kein and whispers to him. "I really do trust you, even if I'm not sure if we're going the right way."
At the lack of response, the wolf does indeed smile--waiting, of course, until the two cubs aren't watching. Side-by-side now, is that it? How sweet. The wolf follows, hanging back several feet but keeping his eyes glued on them.
Kein tenses his shoulders as he can hear the wolf still following them, but he continues walking. It wouldn't matter if they ran, anyway. That wolf could still catch them. Whispering back to his sister, he says, "We are. I promise." Maybe they weren't before, but he's /sure/ of it now. It's just too bad that they're still so far away from Amaranth.
And Ruut'h, for once, is finally reassured. They are on the right track. Kein is certain of it.
This is definitely more amusing this way, so... the wolf has altered his original plan. He'll continue following them until they decide to stop and get some sleep, and then he'll go ahead with his hunt. What /does/ cougar taste like, anyway? Patience. He'll find out, soon enough. It's a good thing the cubs are looking straight ahead or they might find the sudden gleam that enters the wolf's eyes to be... ominous.
Kein walks on in silence for some time. He's still nervous at being followed. If this /is/ a member of his mom's friend's pack, he's probably just waiting to be sure of where they're going before going back to tell Mom... And if he isn't, then why are they being followed. Given that he slept all day, though, it will likely be Ruut'h who tires first.
Ruut'h is indeed getting tired. But she wants to get away from the creepy wolf. She should have stayed with mom. But then maybe Kein might have to deal with the wolf alone. They're in this together.
- Sweeping Steppe -
Ruut'h has been walking for what seemed like forever. This is a much longer journey than she was counting on. "I'm... tired."
Kein has scarcely noticed how much time has passed. He has even stopped walking so stiffly, even though the wolf is still following them. He certainly has plenty on his mind. As Ruut'h whines, though, he looks to his sister, then looks around them. They have gotten a good distance today. If they can keep this pace up, they should be back in Amaranth by the day after tomorrow, he hopes. He stops walking and sighs. Still not tired, but he remembers how miserable traveling when he /was/ tired was, and as he's no longer angry, he won't do that to his sister.
Finally. The wolf has been very patient so far, and finally his patience is about to be rewarded. He refrains from adding in his own comment to the girl's statement, instead letting it work its magic on her brother. That's it... stop. Stop and rest. Sleep. The wolf again refrains, this time from licking his chops. The time is drawing closer. Much closer.
Ruut'h finally slows down and looks around. "Anywhere safe we can sleep?"
There is none of the safety of a cave or being surrounded by family, but... After another brief glance around, Kein gestures northwest with a nod of his head. "You wanna climb that tree to sleep, Ruut'h?" Is she even awake enough to climb? It /would/ be a lot safer than sleeping on the ground.
Climb a tree? Not good. The wolf has to remind himself that cougars are, indeed, felines, and so this shouldn't surprise him. If he could climb a tree, wouldn't /he/ sleep up in it? Especially in a dangerous area? But even still... he can't let them climb that tree--that would be tantamount to escape.
Ruut'h nods to Kein. "A tree sounds like fun." She meanders toward ne nearest tree, oblivious to the wolf predator's frustrations at such an act.
Kein heads over to the tree with Ruut'h. He goes give one more glance over his shoulder, at the wolf. When they're in the tree, they obviously won't need him around to protect them or anything else. So is the wolf still going to follow them? After that quick glance, he says, "I'll head up there first, to make sure nothin' is up there." They are not, after all, the /only/ animals who can climb trees.
The only thing of concern is that the wolf isn't sure how much damage two cougars' worth of claws and teeth can do, despite the cubs being small. While he doesn't doubt his superiority and ultimate victory, he really doesn't feel like being scratched all to pieces. And so... he decides. To wait. At least long enough to separate the two.
Ruut'h looks helplessly over to Kein. "You're gonna leave me down here with the wolf?"
Kein doesn't like the idea anymore than she does, but what choice do they have? There could be something even bigger and meaner in the tree that the wolf who is down here. Whispering as he approaches the tree, he says, "Just come up right after me. It'll be okay." He stops at the base of the tree and waits for Ruut'h's response before he begins to climb.
"A wolf's honor and trust are something you can always count on, young cougar." The wolf pads over to sit down next to the two cubs, staring up into the tree. "You have nothing to fear from me. Only what lurks up in that tree."
Ruut'h inches away from the wolf, then looks at Kein pleadingly. "Can't we go up together? Two cubs would do better than one!"
"What if there's something bad up there?" At least if the wolf decides to do something, Ruut'h can try to climb the tree quickly. If there's something bad up there, they might not be so lucky. Kein nuzzles his sister, trying to make her feel better, before beginning to climb the tree.
The wolf watches as the boy begins climbing, and waits... waits... He'll have his meal, once the boy gets high enough. It's ironic, actually, that by trying to protect the girl from a perceived danger, the boy is actually leaving her to die to the real danger, but keeping himself safe at the same time. The wolf cannot follow the boy, obviously, once he's eaten the boy's sister.
Ruut'h hopes that Kein is right. "Okay... I'll stay until you say I can climb." She tries scooting away from the wolf, at any rate. Tree between them, preferably.
Kein still believes that if this wolf intended to hurt one of them, he would have done it a long time ago, so he keeps his attention on the branches above as he climbs the tree, searching for anything that might hurt him or Ruut'h over the course of the night.
It is time. The wolf, satisfied that the boy is high enough up in the tree to be of no immediate concern, now focuses all his attention on the girl, who seems to want to get away from him. Smart idea, but too late. Far, far too late. The gleam returns to his eyes as he pads around the tree toward the girl. "I have a question for you," he says softly.
Ruut'h sees the wolf heading toward her and, just as before, scurries as fast as she can to the opposite side. "Ask it from over there!"
Kein can hear the wolf speak to his sister, and his sister's concerned reply. He takes that as his cue to climb out on a branch to try to look down. Unfortunately, more branches get in his way, preventing him from seeing very well.
"The only problem is... it requires that you look at something. It's something that I've been told that only a cougar can figure out."
"Go ask a different cougar! A big one!" Ruut'h yells. Please, Kein, I climb? Ruut'h reaches out to latch onto the tree. She knows she said she would wait, but the wolf is scaring her, dammit!
Whether the wolf is doing something bad or not, he's scaring Ruut'h, and Kein hops down a level, clinging on tightly to it as it sways more than he had anticipated. It has been a long time since he has climbed very far up a tree. "Stay away from her!" He would tell Ruut'h to get up here, but warning the wolf to stay away from his sister seems higher priority.
This isn't working, and all too soon the brother is going to have his sister join him up in the tree. Safe haven for both of them. Failure for the wolf's hunt. Out of options, the wolf suddenly lunges forward, speeding around to snatch at the girl with jaws ready to crack bones. He /will/ have his meal, even if it does cost him a few scratches.
Ruut'h jumps up and grabs onto the tree. Only to yelp in pain as the wolf snatches her right off of it! "Kein!" Ruut'h screams, trying to reach her paws out to the tree again, and finding not purchase, only air meets her claws.
No! Growling, Kein releases the tree limb and hops down again, further this time. He can see the wolf and his sister now, clearly, and as he prepares to hop down to ground level, he shouts, "Let her go, wolf!" This wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to keep his sister safe!
Should he take his meal and run, or should he stay here to kill and eat the boy as well? The wolf decides on the former, chomping down hard as his paws begin to carry him swiftly toward the north. No doubt the boy will follow, but the wolf trusts his own speed will be superior.
Ruut'h screams in pain and feels blood trickle out of her body now. "Kein! Kein! Don't let him take me AWA-EEEIGH!" Ruut'h panics when she feels the wolf chomp on her. She squeezes her eyes shut, tears flowing now from the pain. She yells out a frightened shout and her eyes fly open in pure terror. "KEIN!"
By the time Kein hops down to the ground, the wolf already has a considerable head start. He /does/ start after the wolf, but he still can't compare to a full-grown wolf in terms of speed. Given another two or three months, maybe, but not now, even while he's giving it his all. As the black wolf begins to disappear into the darkness, Kein shouts his sister's name, hoping she'll make some more noise so he can continue following her. "Ruut'h!"
Any further noise is what the wolf hopes to avoid, so he continues trying to kill the girl as quickly as possible while continuing to run. He can't spare a glance behind to see if the boy is following, but it doesn't matter. He won't be able to catch up, either way. The wolf will run a few more minutes before settling down to enjoy his meal. Already, the taste of blood. Soon... the taste of meat.
Ruut'h is about to call out to her brother. Unfortunately, several bones and aspects of her body break. Instead of calling out Kein's name, the doomed cub lets out the most terrified, bloodcurdling shriek that could no doubt be heard from a good distance. It is a scream of abject terror, of pain, of suffering, of anguish. Mere words cannot describe this sound Ruut'h elicits from her tiny, broken body. Soon, however, Ruut'h finds herself getting weak. Her head begins to dip as she sees the world from a darker perspective. Growing darker. Her shrill cry before was the last sound she would make. And darkness overtakes her.
The scream drives Kein to run just that little bit faster, the little bit faster that might have saved her, had it happened earlier. He doesn't call out again. He just runs, blindly, trying desperately to get to his sister, to save her.
The girl goes silent and limp, and the wolf knows from experience that it's dead. Finally. He turns to glance behind and doesn't see anything pursuing... but then again it's still dark, and a small form might go unnoticed if far enough back. Dropping down to the ground, the wolf lets go of the dead cub and noses it, then begins what he has wanted to do for hours now: feed.
There! In the distance! He heard something hit the ground, he swears he did. It inspires him to keep on running. He has no idea that what hit the ground may have been his sister's body. Not until the outline of the wolf fades in from the background, which is when Kein stops as quickly as he can, remaining low to the ground. He is completely stopped before he realizes that the wolf is standing over the lifeless body of Ruut'h.
The wolf can't decide, as he begins to feed, whether cougar tastes better than what he had imagined it would. It's certainly different, for sure. There's a certain taste that he hasn't experienced in any other prey animal. Very interesting. He might have to try catching the boy later on, provided that he hid back up in the tree for the night. He'll have to come out eventually, and the wolf will be watching. Watching... and waiting. Patient.
Kein can't take his eyes off of what he sees in front of him for a moment. He is getting older, but he is still at the age where he's convinced that everything will turn out all right, that he and everyone he cares about is invincible, that they'll live forever. Seeing the wolf there, /eating/ his sister... It destroys that, and it freezes Kein for a minute. He can't move. He can't think. He can barely even breathe. He's too late. He didn't reach her right on time, as he would have imagined that he might. He would not be more deeply affected if the world were actually crashing down around him.
Characters:
Kein – Male Juvenile Cougar
Ruut’h – Female Juvenile Cougar (Spoofed by Poe)
Unnamed Male Wolf (Spoofed by Maulisho)
- Storyteller's Butte -
Kein slept almost all day today. He wasn't particularly tired, but he wanted to be well-rested for what he intends to do, which he doubts will be pleasant. It is, at least, dark out, so it might not be as miserable traveling back as it was traveling to the oasis. That wasn't his reason for leaving so late during the night, though. He wanted to make sure that everyone was asleep, that he'd get enough of a head start to allow him to return to Amaranth before his mom or someone else caught up to him. If they even bother. He promised his mom no more running off. Sure, she'll probably forgive him, but... That'll likely take some time, and she might not be too keen on getting him back until after she does forgive him. He doesn't know. He can't just leave Nayeli and Chandani where they are, though. His pace is fast for such a young cougar. He isn't quite running, but the only reason he isn't is so that he can keep very close track of where he's going, so he doesn't wind up getting lost.
Right behind Kein, trying her darndest to keep quiet and "unfound" is Ruut'h, Kein's sister. She's not prone to this sort of behavior. But she just *knows* Kein will get in trouble for wandering off like this. So she decided to keep watch over him to make sure he doesn't do "bad things" or she'll tell mom.
Kein has no idea that Ruut'h has been following him. It's dark enough that glances over his shoulder are pretty much worthless, as the moonlight is nothing compared to the sunlight to which he's accustomed. Apparently she has kept just enough distance, to this point, to avoid being heard by her brother. As he reaches further north, though, he has to stop, to look around and try to remember, exactly, which way they came from. It's so hard to track in these lands, and there are so few landmarks!
Ruut’h stops and crouches. She could bust him right now. But she's not angry at Kein about anything, just curious what he is doing. She tries her best to keep hidden. Of course, she is a juvenile. Such a thing is typically fruitless in its application. Her tail is sticking straight up.
Moments before Kein is about to look back behind him, he could swear he hears an unusual noise. He's generally not one to jump at shadows, but this situation is just so far from normal that even he's feeling a little nervous. It causes him to look around him a little more intently, and then he spots... Something. Something that was not there when he passed that area behind him. Oh no. In a strained whisper, he calls out, "Who's there?"
Ruut’h's ears splay back and she looks a little panicked. Does she say something? Does she? What would Kein do if he caught her? Oh no oh no oh no oh-- "It's me!" And Ruut'h pops her head up so she can be seen. Drat. She did it.
Kein frowns as his sister becomes a little more visible and speaks. He should have checked more to make sure they were all sleeping, but he didn't want to wake anyone in the process. Raising his voice a little more, he says, "Ruut'h, what are you doing here? Go back!" Uh, on second thought... But it's a little bit too late to take back that shouted command. If she does go back, she might tell Mom, and then...
"What are *you* doing here?" Ruut'h fires back at her brother. "If mom finds out you snuck off during the night you're gonna get in so much trouble!" She pads over to Kein and circles him a bit. "Let me come! I jus' wanna see what's so great about sneaking off is all!"
Kein flattens his ears against his head. Why does she have to be so difficult? Turning so that he can keep his eyes on Ruut'h, he says, "You /can't/ tell Mom... And you're not gonna want to come with me, either." Well, maybe she is. She was the one who put up the most fuss about leaving home, after all. "I'm goin' far away, and it's gonna take a long time." He won't tell her where, not voluntarily. If she doesn't know /where/ he's going, she can't tell Mom where... Of course, with any knowledge of Kein, it probably wouldn't be too hard to figure out, anyway.
And of course, it would take a cougar of somewhat more intelligence than Ruut'h. Now she looks horrified. "You're runnin'way? Why are you runnin'way?" Ruut'h is very much agitated now. Not one to just let her brother just *run away* Ruut'h decides maybe she should do something about it. And before he can even respond or run away or WORSE, she pounces. "I'm tellin' mom! An' she'll find you!"
Kein was not expecting Ruut'h to pounce at him, and so he has minimal time to respond. He moves back, but it's not enough to keep him from being toppled by the pounce. Growling suddenly, he attempts to push at her with his paws, making sure his claws remain hidden. This is not some fun cubfight, and if there is one thing that his Mom has taught him, it's that his job is to protect girls, not hurt them. He doesn't always manage that, but it will keep him from doing anything to physically injure his sister. "Get off of me, Ruut'h!" Kein is not so careful about keeping his voice quiet, this time around.
"Why are you runnin' away? And where?" Ruut'h yells back, not getting off of her brother. "It's bad 'nough we had to leave home, but now you gotta leave me an' mom an' Pelutho, too?" She stares right into his eyes. You are in Big Trouble, so says the cub on top of you. Grr.
Kein continues growling and trying to push his sister away, but at least he does answer. His tone is angry, but he's not yelling. Unfortunately, talking at a normal volume may be dangerous enough, out here. "I'm /not/ runnin' way. I'm gonna come back, as soon as I can. I just gotta do something, Ruut'h, and you gotta let me go!"
"But where are ya goin'?" Ruut'h says, leaning forward again, trying to keep Kein pinned. "You're gonna get in so much trouble!"
Kein scowls and shouts, "I gotta go get Nayeli!" He /didn't/ want to tell her that, but he can't seem to free himself very well, not if he wants to do so without hurting Ruut'h. It will be so much easier to avoid hurting girls when he's older and there's more of a size difference between Kein and girls of the same age, because he may be less likely to have to rely on teeth and claws to get out of situations like this one.
Ruut'h looks at Kein wide-eyed for a moment, then gets off. "You're going *back?* Even after mom took us away?" Ruut'h asks. Then she looks really excited. "Can I come? I wanna go home!"
Kein is quick to get to his feet, and he stares at Ruut'h once he does. If he tells her no, it'll probably just make her angry, and she'll go tell Mom no matter what else he says. He might well be stuck with her. After a moment, he answers with a frown. "We /aren't/ stayin' there. We're just gonna get Nayeli and Chandani, then come back. Got it?" And if Nayeli doesn't want to come back with him? He has recognized that possibility, but he doesn't have an answer, yet.
Ruut’h gets a sly look on her face. "Gonna get your *girlfriend?*" Ruut'h says, teasing Kein. This is an abrupt change from the upset cub from just moments before. Ruut'h is torn, however, on the inside. Go with Kein and come back, she won't return home until mom says so. Go with Kein and *stay* and she'll be home, but no mom! Ruut'h begins working on this dilemma for a few moments.
"This isn't funny, Ruut'h." And Kein is not amused by her teasing. For all he knows, Chesmu could have done something really bad to Nayeli or Chandani already. They're not safe, where they are. "If you're comin' with me, we gotta hurry, but remember what I said."
Ruut'h nods. "Oh fine." Ruut'h says. "But I might stay!" Ruut'h was never very good at keeping her own secrets. Yes. She would stay. But she'll make sure mom knows she loves her and wants her to come back, too. That would make it all right.... right?
Kein was just about to turn around, to head back northward. When Ruut'h speaks up, though, he snaps his head back around to look at her. "No! It's not safe there, Ruut'h!" Mom would never forgive him if he left Ruut'h where Chesmu would be able to hurt her, he's sure of it. Oh, she claims she'll forgive him and always love him, no matter what he does, but surely there's something that's bad enough to make her change her mind about that.
Ruut'h gets angry at this. "Why? Because mom got a bad feeling or because you hate Chesmu?" Ruut'h yells. "What is it that he did that was *so terrible* that suddenly we all gotta leave our friends and home and DIE OUT HERE?!"
"He hurt Mom!" Kein growls at his sister as he answers this. "Mom is trying to keep you an' me an' Pel safe, and all you're doin' is makin' her feel bad about it!" Even when Kein was angry about leaving Nayeli behind, he didn't attempt to convince his mom to stay, didn't cry about leaving. Ruut'h, though... Kein might not be the best-behaved cougar in the world, but at least he usually /tries/ to keep from making anyone feel bad.
Now Ruut'h is furious! "I am *not*! I just think momma's doing something bad!" Ruut'h yells back at Kein in anger. "Maybe *you* just convinced mom that Chesmu is evil, like Nayeli!"
Kein stares at Ruut'h for a moment. Kein isn't angry often, and all of those times have been fairly recently. He was angry with Chesmu a couple times, angry with the mouse a couple times, angry for a little while when he had to leave Nayeli behind... And he's angry now. Perhaps angrier than he has ever been, and /definitely/ angrier than he has ever been with a family member. He has forgiven Mom for the small slight he imagines she was guilty of, absolutely unconditionally, and hearing Ruut'h attack Mom for being the best leader their family could possibly ask for... It makes him /want/ to hurt her. Growling still, he says, in a low tone, "Mom loves us, and she would /never/ hurt any of us. She stood up for Chesmu, but she was /wrong/, Ruut'h... And she got hurt because of it. And now you're wrong." Kein turns away from his sister. With as hot as that anger is burning, he can barely stand looking at her, and as he begins walking again, he says, "Go back and tell her. I don't care." Kein's going to get in trouble, one way or the other. It just means he'll have to move a lot faster, and not rest, so that he can get to Nayeli in time.
Ruut’h angrily follows Kein. She won't let him get off *that* easily. Maybe she was *right* to defend Chesmu, did Kein ever think of that? The cub just follows angrily silent.
Kein can hear Ruut'h following, and he puts up with it for only a moment before he turns to face her again. That desire to hurt her hasn't faded, and he takes a step towards her, baring his teeth. "Go /back/, Ruut'h! I'm /not/ going to let you go and stay there, and get hurt just like Mom did." Mom is big. With Ruut'h, though... If Chesmu decides to hurt her, she might not get away... She might even be killed... And that might be what's happening to Nayeli, Chandani, or one of their siblings /right now/, but Ruut'h refuses to see that.
Ruut'h is shocked when Kein confronts her like that. However, she is as stubborn as she is angry at this moment. "No!" she says. "You can't tell me what to do! And I'm gonna prove you wrong! I wanna prove mom wrong so she can come home and everyone just GO HOME!"
This is /not/ good. It'd be fine if Ruut'h just came with him and then left with him, but he /can't/ leave her there. He tries to position himself north of Ruut'h, to try to drive her back towards Mom. Unfortunately, with the absence of visible landmarks, he has gotten turned around, and when he lunges and snaps at Ruut'h, aiming to scare her rather than actually hurt her, he is definitely not facing south. "Go!" If he has to /chase/ her back to where Mom is, well... So be it.
Ruut'h whimpers when Kein snaps at her! But...! "But I wanna come!" And prove you wrong and make everyone get home. But Ruut'h doesn't say that part.
Kein isn't aiming to make Ruut'h whimper. He's aiming to chase her back to Mom. "You /can't/ come if you're gonna stay there." He lunges again, this time bringing him close enough to potentially knock into her, but without the snapping.
This is enough for Ruut'h to worry. Kein is serious! He's not going to let her come. Seeing him charge for her, she makes a snappy decision and turns to the northeast, and runs.
She turned! She was supposed to run in the exact direction he was facing, to get as far away from him as quickly as possible, but she turned! The wrong way! Who knows where she'll end up?! He's angry, yes, and he wanted to hurt her... But he doesn't want her to /be/ hurt, or lost, or anything of the sort. How two very opposite things could be true a the same time would be impossible for him to explain. With only a moment's hesitation... He takes off after her, shouting, "Ruut'h! Wait!"
Ruut'h doesn't listen. Not for a long time. She just runs and runs.
"Ruut'h, stop! You can come!" Anything to get her to stop running in some random direction. He continues chasing after her, and though he's still angry, he's now also concerned. What if she gets them /both/ lost? He has already learned that he has a really hard time tracking out here, and what if he couldn't even get them both back to the oasis, much less back to Amaranth?
- Desolate Scrubland -
Ruut'h runs for a few seconds after she hears she can come. She stops and circles back. She walks over to Kein. "You mean it?"
Kein stops where he is when she begins to circle around, breathing heavily, head down. He lifts it again as she approaches him and speaks, and after a pause, he says, "I mean it... But only if you promise that you'll listen to Chandani, when we get there." Maybe Chandani will be able to convince Ruut'h that Chesmu is bad... If not, he'll have to find some other way to force Ruut'h to leave. He can deal with that then, though.
Listen to Chandani. That sounds simple enough. Except... "Aren't you planning to take Chandani with you?" Ruut’h says, confused.
"We'll stay for a little while, okay?" Long enough to give Chandani a chance to convince Ruut'h of what Kein couldn't. As he waits for an answer from his sister, he looks around, not entirely sure where they are or what direction they ought to be going.
Ruut'h nods and looks around. "Where are we? I don't know this place!" Ruut'h says nervously. She doesn't like being lost. What's worst is she is lost outside of Amaranth territory or the oasis. "I'm scared."
She's scared? She has good reason to be. The girl doesn't realize it yet, but she's being watched. Stalked. Hunted. And... about to be attacked.
And whose fault is that? If she hadn't run off, he would still have some idea of where he is. Even as he looks around for the direction to go, he doesn't notice anything nearby watching them, and after a moment, he says, "There's nothin' t'be scared of. Follow me." With that, he begins walking again, towards the north, though he has no idea that's the direction he's heading. His pace is much slower now that when he first set out.
Ruut’h walks alongside her brother, keeping an eye out for anything familiar. A tree, a brush, a cougar, *something.* She's not very angry anymore since she feels so lost and afraid.
Nothing to be scared? So speaks the ignorant boy, bringing a sardonic smile to the muzzle of the pursuer. Nothing to be scared of? They have /everything/ to be scared of.
Kein keeps his pace slow, primarily so that Ruut'h won't have to rush to keep up with him. He's still angry, though not quite so much as before. He might feel a little bit lost, but he's not so much afraid, and with all the things that have happened, he is not at all inclined to talk anymore than he has to, now.
This is *fine* with Ruut'h. She is, naturally, convinced she is right. She walks a little behind Kein, but not far from him.
It's far back enough for the pursuer's purposes. The distance between them continues decreasing, though the pursuer is not too terribly worried about detection. If the cubs are skilled enough to realize that they're being tracked, well... it won't matter in the long run. No pun intended.
It took Kein a long time to realize his sister was following him, and she's not particularly skilled at trailing animals unnoticed. The chances of him noticing that something is hunting them, or rather hunting Ruut'h, are slim, until the creature should accidentally stumble or some other noise from that direction should draw Kein's gaze.
Ruut’h is still unaware that a predator is about to close on her. She just continues on in silence behind Kein. She'll be so glad when she gets back to the territory.
The pursuer has accidentally stumbled before, and has made noises before... while still learning how to hunt. That time was long ago. There is nothing to indicate the pursuer's presence except a silent shadow weaving its way across the sparsely populated ground.
Kein might be more anxious about how long it seems to be taking, but he remembers how long it took to get to the oasis. Even so, as he and his sister continue northward and absolutely /nothing/ looks familiar in the moonlight, his pace slows further. This isn't the right direction... And because the sun isn't out and he's never had to travel at night by himself before, he has no idea where the right direction might be.
Ruut’h speeds up her pace and gets to Kein's side. "What's wrong?" Ruut'h asks. Aren't they on their way to home? "C'mon, we gotta keep goin'!"
Hmm. The cubs are together now. Dropping into a crouch, the pursuer waits for them to make their next move. Patience was a lesson learned long ago, and learned well. Hunger can wait. Best to do this properly.
Kein stops for a moment as Ruut'h catches up to him. What good is going if they're going in the wrong direction? "I've never seen this place before." Or, if he has, he doesn't recognize it. If this is the wrong direction, then the only possible choice is to turn and head some other way. It got him enough places when he was much younger. Of course, back then, he was always safe within Amaranth. He's just not used to having to wander around to find where he's supposed to be, anymore.
Ruut’h's ears fall back. She stops walking altogether, in fact. "Wh-what're we gonna do?" Ruut'h asks. Will they be lost forever?
"We're gonna go a different way." Kein turns to his left and begins walking again, looking forward to try to spot anything familiar from their trip to the oasis. He tells himself to be patient, that it might take a while, but now that he knows, or thinks, they were going in the wrong direction once already, he's nervous about going in the wrong direction again.
Ruut'h follows Kein again, again, somewhat behind, but not very far. She just wants to go home. Why couldn't mom even understand that.
Excellent. They're starting to move on again. The pursuer smoothly rises on strong paws and begins slinking forward after them again. The simple question now is whether or not to wait until they're asleep for the night. Attacking while the prey is asleep... it doesn't get any easier than that.
If whatever is following them is going to wait until they fall asleep, it's going to be waiting a long time. Kein might not have to rush so much now, because Ruut'h won't be going back to alert Mom to where he's going, but he still has no intention of stopping for as long as he's capable of pressing on. He travels in silence, heading westward for some time, and aided in confidence by occasional glimpses of things he thinks he has seen before.
Ruut'h is not as confident as Kein. She keeps dodging around the rather rude question of 'Are you *sure* we're going the right way?' But instead, the girlcub bites her tongue for now. Kein is one of the reasons she feels safe right now. Well, relatively safe. Better than being alone out here.
The same thought has gone through the pursuer's mind: sleep most likely won't overtake these cubs for a while. They seem too frightened and uneasy to find rest anytime soon. The distance begins to decrease, yet again.
Kein doesn't look behind him. He can hear that Ruut'h is following him, and he can suppose that's what matters, for the time being. Of course, given that he knows that he's being followed, the occasional extra, heavier pawstep that might occasionally reach his ears doesn't cause him nearly the concern it should.
Ruut'h is scared. She continues following Kein... and finally she has to say something. "I'm scared, Kein."
Another smile comes to the muzzle of the pursuer, and there's nothing friendly about it. The taste or flesh of cougar has never entered the pursuer's maw before, but if this hunt is successful, that will soon change. All the pursuer must do is decide exactly when and how to launch the attack. A large part of that will be determined by how the cubs continue their journey.
Kein is still frustrated with a great many things, not the least of which is his sister's stubbornness. He looks back at her, but he continues walking forward. "You're the one that wanted to come with me, Ruut'h. Besides, I told you, there's nothing to be scared of." /Kein/ said it. That has to make it true. At least, that would be the case, were it Nayeli following him. He keeps an eye on Ruut'h for a moment, walking a little more slowly so that he doesn't trip while he looks behind him.
The pursuer immediately freezes in place, waiting until the male cub turns his attention back to in front of him, rather than staring back in the pursuer's direction.
As Ruut'h doesn't respond this time, apparently accepting his statement again, Kein looks forward. The dim lighting combined with their pursuer's skill and caution have kept him unnoticed to this point. Either that or Kein really doesn't think something stalking after them is anything to be concerned about, but that isn't very likely.
Ruut’h actually was waiting before answering. She wants to know why Kein is so confident. "But how do you know?" Ruut'h asks. "It's not like you know all the dangers out here!"
"That is absolutely correct, young girl!" The deep male voice is followed by the appearance of the pursuer: a nearly-completely black wolf. Well-built and muscular, and with a confidence that comes only with knowledge of one's own superiority. "There are many terrible dangers out here, so you are wise to be careful."
Kein has just opened his mouth to respond to his sister when an unfamiliar voice sounds out, causing him to turn around rapidly. Even once he's facing the direction of the voice, he doesn't see anything for a moment. It takes a while for the wolf's outline to stand out, and once it does, the young male narrows his eyes. For all he knows, he has been followed /again/, by one of the wolves in his mom's friend's pack, and he doesn't like the idea. "We're doin' just fine."
Ruut'h also whips around quickly in shock. "Wh-who's there?" And she's back to being *Really* scared again.
The wolf quietly sits down. "You are not doing fine at all. You let me get within attacking distance of the young girl here and only became aware of my presence simply because I allowed it." The wolf narrows his eyes. "Luckily for you, I am a wolf."
Kein isn't sure he'd call that lucky. That the wolf says that and that he sis would seem to confirm Kein's suspicion, though. It doesn't make him any more receptive to the criticism, though. "Fine. You got close to her. You can go back now." Kein's really not usually this rude, not to animals he doesn't view as threats. He just doesn't want to deal with the wolf right now, though.
Ruut'h looks absolutely terrified now. She looks up at the wolf and feels very small. Vulnerable. Trembling, the little girlcub stutters, "P-please tell me you're... n-nice!"
If the wolf was ever told not to play with his food before eating it, he's certainly disregarding that admonition now. Addressing all his attention to the girl, he adopts an expression of near-hurt. "Young girl, how can you question that? Tell me: what do you know about wolves?" Obviously he has no idea at all, but if this backfires, he can always go ahead and kill them both right away.
"That they talk /all the time/." Okay, so maybe the question wasn't posed to Kein, but he's rather in a hurry to continue on his way. "C'mon Ruut'h. Let's get out of here." Y'know, before Kein does anything else to anger this wolf? Well, that may not be his motivation, but it might be smart to let him continue on his way.
Ruut’h backs away from the wolf. Hoping to find Kein near so she'll feel a little safer. Numbers and all that. She doesn't know anything about wolves. Just that this one scares her.
"Little girl, I do have a question for you... do you trust that your brother knows where you both are going? Do you trust that he'll be able to protect you from any danger that you might encounter on the way?" The wolf does his best not to allow the inward amusement he's feeling to display itself as a smile.
Kein scowls at that question, but he remains quiet for the time being. Of course he knows where he's going! He even recognizes a few things! As to whether or not he can protect Ruut'h... Well, Kein almost wants to hear Ruut'h answer to that. And he's kind of scared to hear the answer. Momentarily indecisive, he keeps his mouth shut. Barely.
Ruut’h backs up more, staring at the wolf. What should she do? Should she tell him the truth or bluff? She shivers in fear and looks over at Kein. Maybe she can stonewall. Keep the wolf from knowing she doesn't fully trust Kein's judgment right now. "I trust that my b-brother will do the right thing. He does what he f-feels he must."
"But is he strong enough to protect you? You may trust him, but is he capable of guarding you?" They're siblings. The wolf was fairly certain of this fact, but is glad to hear that one of them verified it. "Being a brother is an enormous responsibility, and safeguarding a sister... well... I just hope for your sake that your brother is up to the task."
Kein continues to stare at the wolf. Sure, he noticed that Ruut'h skirted around the question, and it upsets him a little, but he should have spoken up before she even had to answer it. "What does it matter to you anyway? Why don't you just go away already?" Nosy, talkative, ugly wolves. Trying to convince his sister that it's time to move on, once more, he says, "Come on, Ruut'h."
Ruut'h stares up at the wolf for another few seconds before turning away to walk with Kein again.
The wolf immediately gets to his paws again, turning his attention to the brother. "Do you find my presence offensive, young cougar? Repulsive? Or perhaps... embarrassing?"
Kein is about to turn around, to continue westward with his sister, but then the wolf stands up. Narrowing his eyes, he says, "We're just inna hurry, so leave us alone, okay?" Even if this /is/ a member of the pack they're visiting, he doesn't want the wolf around any longer.
"You're in a hurry, you say? Do you really think that I'm going to slow you down?" The wolf feigns offense at the slight.
Perhaps not, but nevertheless, Kein is reluctant to turn his back on the wolf. He's just a little more reluctant, though, to show that he might be nervous. After a moment of hesitation, and with a deep breath, he turns to begin continuing on his way back to Amaranth. To where Nayeli and Chandani are.
Ruut’h walks alongside Kein and whispers to him. "I really do trust you, even if I'm not sure if we're going the right way."
At the lack of response, the wolf does indeed smile--waiting, of course, until the two cubs aren't watching. Side-by-side now, is that it? How sweet. The wolf follows, hanging back several feet but keeping his eyes glued on them.
Kein tenses his shoulders as he can hear the wolf still following them, but he continues walking. It wouldn't matter if they ran, anyway. That wolf could still catch them. Whispering back to his sister, he says, "We are. I promise." Maybe they weren't before, but he's /sure/ of it now. It's just too bad that they're still so far away from Amaranth.
And Ruut'h, for once, is finally reassured. They are on the right track. Kein is certain of it.
This is definitely more amusing this way, so... the wolf has altered his original plan. He'll continue following them until they decide to stop and get some sleep, and then he'll go ahead with his hunt. What /does/ cougar taste like, anyway? Patience. He'll find out, soon enough. It's a good thing the cubs are looking straight ahead or they might find the sudden gleam that enters the wolf's eyes to be... ominous.
Kein walks on in silence for some time. He's still nervous at being followed. If this /is/ a member of his mom's friend's pack, he's probably just waiting to be sure of where they're going before going back to tell Mom... And if he isn't, then why are they being followed. Given that he slept all day, though, it will likely be Ruut'h who tires first.
Ruut'h is indeed getting tired. But she wants to get away from the creepy wolf. She should have stayed with mom. But then maybe Kein might have to deal with the wolf alone. They're in this together.
- Sweeping Steppe -
Ruut'h has been walking for what seemed like forever. This is a much longer journey than she was counting on. "I'm... tired."
Kein has scarcely noticed how much time has passed. He has even stopped walking so stiffly, even though the wolf is still following them. He certainly has plenty on his mind. As Ruut'h whines, though, he looks to his sister, then looks around them. They have gotten a good distance today. If they can keep this pace up, they should be back in Amaranth by the day after tomorrow, he hopes. He stops walking and sighs. Still not tired, but he remembers how miserable traveling when he /was/ tired was, and as he's no longer angry, he won't do that to his sister.
Finally. The wolf has been very patient so far, and finally his patience is about to be rewarded. He refrains from adding in his own comment to the girl's statement, instead letting it work its magic on her brother. That's it... stop. Stop and rest. Sleep. The wolf again refrains, this time from licking his chops. The time is drawing closer. Much closer.
Ruut'h finally slows down and looks around. "Anywhere safe we can sleep?"
There is none of the safety of a cave or being surrounded by family, but... After another brief glance around, Kein gestures northwest with a nod of his head. "You wanna climb that tree to sleep, Ruut'h?" Is she even awake enough to climb? It /would/ be a lot safer than sleeping on the ground.
Climb a tree? Not good. The wolf has to remind himself that cougars are, indeed, felines, and so this shouldn't surprise him. If he could climb a tree, wouldn't /he/ sleep up in it? Especially in a dangerous area? But even still... he can't let them climb that tree--that would be tantamount to escape.
Ruut'h nods to Kein. "A tree sounds like fun." She meanders toward ne nearest tree, oblivious to the wolf predator's frustrations at such an act.
Kein heads over to the tree with Ruut'h. He goes give one more glance over his shoulder, at the wolf. When they're in the tree, they obviously won't need him around to protect them or anything else. So is the wolf still going to follow them? After that quick glance, he says, "I'll head up there first, to make sure nothin' is up there." They are not, after all, the /only/ animals who can climb trees.
The only thing of concern is that the wolf isn't sure how much damage two cougars' worth of claws and teeth can do, despite the cubs being small. While he doesn't doubt his superiority and ultimate victory, he really doesn't feel like being scratched all to pieces. And so... he decides. To wait. At least long enough to separate the two.
Ruut'h looks helplessly over to Kein. "You're gonna leave me down here with the wolf?"
Kein doesn't like the idea anymore than she does, but what choice do they have? There could be something even bigger and meaner in the tree that the wolf who is down here. Whispering as he approaches the tree, he says, "Just come up right after me. It'll be okay." He stops at the base of the tree and waits for Ruut'h's response before he begins to climb.
"A wolf's honor and trust are something you can always count on, young cougar." The wolf pads over to sit down next to the two cubs, staring up into the tree. "You have nothing to fear from me. Only what lurks up in that tree."
Ruut'h inches away from the wolf, then looks at Kein pleadingly. "Can't we go up together? Two cubs would do better than one!"
"What if there's something bad up there?" At least if the wolf decides to do something, Ruut'h can try to climb the tree quickly. If there's something bad up there, they might not be so lucky. Kein nuzzles his sister, trying to make her feel better, before beginning to climb the tree.
The wolf watches as the boy begins climbing, and waits... waits... He'll have his meal, once the boy gets high enough. It's ironic, actually, that by trying to protect the girl from a perceived danger, the boy is actually leaving her to die to the real danger, but keeping himself safe at the same time. The wolf cannot follow the boy, obviously, once he's eaten the boy's sister.
Ruut'h hopes that Kein is right. "Okay... I'll stay until you say I can climb." She tries scooting away from the wolf, at any rate. Tree between them, preferably.
Kein still believes that if this wolf intended to hurt one of them, he would have done it a long time ago, so he keeps his attention on the branches above as he climbs the tree, searching for anything that might hurt him or Ruut'h over the course of the night.
It is time. The wolf, satisfied that the boy is high enough up in the tree to be of no immediate concern, now focuses all his attention on the girl, who seems to want to get away from him. Smart idea, but too late. Far, far too late. The gleam returns to his eyes as he pads around the tree toward the girl. "I have a question for you," he says softly.
Ruut'h sees the wolf heading toward her and, just as before, scurries as fast as she can to the opposite side. "Ask it from over there!"
Kein can hear the wolf speak to his sister, and his sister's concerned reply. He takes that as his cue to climb out on a branch to try to look down. Unfortunately, more branches get in his way, preventing him from seeing very well.
"The only problem is... it requires that you look at something. It's something that I've been told that only a cougar can figure out."
"Go ask a different cougar! A big one!" Ruut'h yells. Please, Kein, I climb? Ruut'h reaches out to latch onto the tree. She knows she said she would wait, but the wolf is scaring her, dammit!
Whether the wolf is doing something bad or not, he's scaring Ruut'h, and Kein hops down a level, clinging on tightly to it as it sways more than he had anticipated. It has been a long time since he has climbed very far up a tree. "Stay away from her!" He would tell Ruut'h to get up here, but warning the wolf to stay away from his sister seems higher priority.
This isn't working, and all too soon the brother is going to have his sister join him up in the tree. Safe haven for both of them. Failure for the wolf's hunt. Out of options, the wolf suddenly lunges forward, speeding around to snatch at the girl with jaws ready to crack bones. He /will/ have his meal, even if it does cost him a few scratches.
Ruut'h jumps up and grabs onto the tree. Only to yelp in pain as the wolf snatches her right off of it! "Kein!" Ruut'h screams, trying to reach her paws out to the tree again, and finding not purchase, only air meets her claws.
No! Growling, Kein releases the tree limb and hops down again, further this time. He can see the wolf and his sister now, clearly, and as he prepares to hop down to ground level, he shouts, "Let her go, wolf!" This wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to keep his sister safe!
Should he take his meal and run, or should he stay here to kill and eat the boy as well? The wolf decides on the former, chomping down hard as his paws begin to carry him swiftly toward the north. No doubt the boy will follow, but the wolf trusts his own speed will be superior.
Ruut'h screams in pain and feels blood trickle out of her body now. "Kein! Kein! Don't let him take me AWA-EEEIGH!" Ruut'h panics when she feels the wolf chomp on her. She squeezes her eyes shut, tears flowing now from the pain. She yells out a frightened shout and her eyes fly open in pure terror. "KEIN!"
By the time Kein hops down to the ground, the wolf already has a considerable head start. He /does/ start after the wolf, but he still can't compare to a full-grown wolf in terms of speed. Given another two or three months, maybe, but not now, even while he's giving it his all. As the black wolf begins to disappear into the darkness, Kein shouts his sister's name, hoping she'll make some more noise so he can continue following her. "Ruut'h!"
Any further noise is what the wolf hopes to avoid, so he continues trying to kill the girl as quickly as possible while continuing to run. He can't spare a glance behind to see if the boy is following, but it doesn't matter. He won't be able to catch up, either way. The wolf will run a few more minutes before settling down to enjoy his meal. Already, the taste of blood. Soon... the taste of meat.
Ruut'h is about to call out to her brother. Unfortunately, several bones and aspects of her body break. Instead of calling out Kein's name, the doomed cub lets out the most terrified, bloodcurdling shriek that could no doubt be heard from a good distance. It is a scream of abject terror, of pain, of suffering, of anguish. Mere words cannot describe this sound Ruut'h elicits from her tiny, broken body. Soon, however, Ruut'h finds herself getting weak. Her head begins to dip as she sees the world from a darker perspective. Growing darker. Her shrill cry before was the last sound she would make. And darkness overtakes her.
The scream drives Kein to run just that little bit faster, the little bit faster that might have saved her, had it happened earlier. He doesn't call out again. He just runs, blindly, trying desperately to get to his sister, to save her.
The girl goes silent and limp, and the wolf knows from experience that it's dead. Finally. He turns to glance behind and doesn't see anything pursuing... but then again it's still dark, and a small form might go unnoticed if far enough back. Dropping down to the ground, the wolf lets go of the dead cub and noses it, then begins what he has wanted to do for hours now: feed.
There! In the distance! He heard something hit the ground, he swears he did. It inspires him to keep on running. He has no idea that what hit the ground may have been his sister's body. Not until the outline of the wolf fades in from the background, which is when Kein stops as quickly as he can, remaining low to the ground. He is completely stopped before he realizes that the wolf is standing over the lifeless body of Ruut'h.
The wolf can't decide, as he begins to feed, whether cougar tastes better than what he had imagined it would. It's certainly different, for sure. There's a certain taste that he hasn't experienced in any other prey animal. Very interesting. He might have to try catching the boy later on, provided that he hid back up in the tree for the night. He'll have to come out eventually, and the wolf will be watching. Watching... and waiting. Patient.
Kein can't take his eyes off of what he sees in front of him for a moment. He is getting older, but he is still at the age where he's convinced that everything will turn out all right, that he and everyone he cares about is invincible, that they'll live forever. Seeing the wolf there, /eating/ his sister... It destroys that, and it freezes Kein for a minute. He can't move. He can't think. He can barely even breathe. He's too late. He didn't reach her right on time, as he would have imagined that he might. He would not be more deeply affected if the world were actually crashing down around him.